Esteemed Gathering

To some, they're just trinkets.

Photos and captions by A.J. Voelpel

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Since my first round of golf, as a 12-year-old, I’ve been obsessed with golf logos. Growing up in the New York metro area only enabled my aberrant fixation; distinctive and timeless logos are as common as pizza places and corner delis. Since those early days, I’ve always squirreled away scorecards, pencils, markers, divot tools and whatever else I could collect from courses I’ve played. Recently I’ve noticed that I’m not alone in this fascination. I’ve been working with my colleague and fellow obsessive Chris Otsen to document this phenomenon, creating a collective of sorts where other players add their golf curios to the menagerie.

40 Ways to Fix a Mark

1. Montauk Downs State Park: My gamer tool. I’ve had this one the longest and the Downs is my second-favorite public course in the world (ahem, Bethpage Black).

2. Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club: One of the most unique (and spooky) tools in the collection. This and several others were contributed by my friend Patrick Koenig. Big golf-stuff guy, that Patrick.

3. Riviera Country Club: Doesn’t look effective, but this thing can fix the ballsiest of marks.

4. Round Hill Club: I played there every Monday for years with my Uncle Joe, who caddied and worked maintenance. This piece has a special place in my personal memorabilia hall of fame.